Modular service bar

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a modular food and beverage service bar that can be readily assembled and disassembled and easily changed according to desired design needs.

2. Related Art

Portable food and beverage service bars are well known in the prior art. A typical bar is a tall and narrow rolling cart that provides enough space for one bartender to serve one person at a time. There are several problems with the typical bar. The bar is non-modular and cannot be reduced in size for storing. Occasionally, long lines of people will be waiting to be served by one bartender one person at a time since the inside bar space accommodates only one bartender. An additional problem is the lack of versatility with respect to decor needs relating to corporate events, special meetings or theme events. Consequently, the industry resorts to building customized theme bars, which consumes significant resources and can only be used for one theme event.

Because of these problems with the prior art, it is apparent that there is a need for an improved and modified portable food and beverage service bar.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a modular service bar that can be readily reassembled and disassembled repeatedly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a service bar that requires minimum storage space.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a service bar that has enough space to enable multiple bartenders to serve many people at a time and thus fostering social interaction between participants of social events.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for service bar that readily changeable décor as desired to fit a variety of different social and corporate themes.

Yet, it is another object of the invention to provide for a service bar section kit that can be easily assembled into a food and beverage service bar and disassembled again into a bar section kit.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A modular service bar includes a plurality of interchangeable sections, which can be readily connected to each other. Each section includes a plurality of spaced U-shaped aluminum box support members and each support member has an outer wall, an inner wall and a pair of side walls juxtaposed to form a lower horizontal box member, an elongated upright vertical box member and an upper horizontal box member. The upright member at its lower end is rigidly connected to the lower member, and the upper member is rigidly connected to an upper end of the upright member. The bar further includes a rectangular front panel for each section that has a top horizontal edge, a bottom horizontal edge, a proximal vertical edge and a distal vertical edge. The panel is generally overlying and covering the upright support members. The front panel has a front surface and a back surface juxtaposed to the outer wall of the upright support members, and the front panel is detachably affixed to the upright support members. The bar also includes a top plate that has a curved inner and outer edges, a top surface and a bottom surface juxtaposed to the outer wall of the upper support member and the top plate is detachably affixed to the upper support member.

The modular bar further includes a pair of trim bands sandwiching the front panel between them to enable readily replacement of the front panel to fit different decor needs. One of the trim band being disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the front panel and is fastened to the upright support members. The other trim band is disposed adjacent the top horizontal edge and is fastened to the upright support members.

Each of the support members includes a gusset positioned and affixed to and between the lower member and the upright member. Another gusset is positioned and affixed to and between the upper member and the upright member. The upper member includes a pair of knobs for supporting the top plate, which extends upwardly from the outer wall of the upper member to the bottom surface of the top plate.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the front panel is fastened to three spaced support members, a first support member positioned at the proximal vertical edge, a second support member positioned at the distal vertical edge, and a third support member positioned midway of the front panel.

Each section is placed adjacent to another section so that one support member at the proximal vertical edge of a first section is detachably connected to another support member at the distal vertical edge of a second section, and another support member at the distal vertical edge of the first section is adapted to be detachably connected to a further support member at the proximal vertical edge of the further identical section.

A plurality of sections can be arranged to form a variety of arrangements such as a quarter, half or full circular bar except for an egress passageway for the baretenders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1

illustrates a first embodiment of the modular service bar showing a full circular beverage and food bar with an egress passageway;

FIG. 2

is a perspective view of an assembled section of the modular service bar of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a perspective exploded view of the section of the modular service bar of

FIG. 2

;

FIG. 4A

is a perspective view showing a support member in accord with the present invention;

FIG. 4B

is a perspective view showing two support members of two adjacent sections attached to each other;

FIG. 5

is a side elevational view of the support member shown in

FIGS. 4A and B

;

FIG. 6

is a perspective view of an assembled half section of the service bar of

FIG. 1

; and

FIG. 7

is a perspective exploded view of the half section of FIG.

6

.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a readily assemblable and disassemblable modular food and beverage service bar, which comprises a plurality of identical sections that can be configured in a variety of arrangements, such as a full circle, half circle and quarter circle.

FIG. 1

shows a full circular service bar

80

that has seven interchangeable sections

10

and one half section

66

positioned adjacent open egress passageway

82

of the bar

80

to form a circle having an outer diameter of approximately 20 feet. The space

89

inside the bar

80

is capable of accommodating seven or more bartenders inside the bar

80

and thus enabling service of a large number of people during social or corporate-events. The scene of long lines of people around bars waiting to be served may become a past memory with the use of the present service bar.

Each of the identical sections

10

includes a composite countertop material cut into an arcuate pattern. When the sections

10

are placed adjacent each other, they form a circular service bar

80

as shown in FIG.

1

. Each section

10

of the bar

80

is coupled to the adjacent section by fasteners such as an assortment of nuts and bolts, not shown in

FIG. 1

, and therefore can be easily separated from each other to make other configurations from the disassembled components. Each section

10

is also fabricated from several components, shown more clearly in

FIGS. 2 and 3

, which can be readily assembled or disassembled repeatedly to reduce storage space.

FIG. 2

shows one assembled section

10

having a generally arcuate configuration and including three spaced U-shaped box support members

12

preferably constructed from 2 inch aluminum box tubing. A front panel

42

generally covers the upright member

22

of the U-shaped box support members

12

and such front panel

42

is made of a pliable material or a plastic laminate composite material capable of bending to substantially match the curvature of the top plate

52

. The front panel

42

is a rectangle and includes a proximal vertical edge

48

, a distal vertical edge

50

, a top horizontal edge

44

and a bottom horizontal edge

46

. A pair of trim bands

38

holds the front panel

42

between them. The trim bands

38

are made of thin aluminum flat bars that are pre-bent to match the curvature of the section

10

and such bands

38

provide structural rigidification and enhancement to the modular bar section

10

. One band

38

is fastened to the outer wall

14

of the U-shaped box support members

12

through bolts, including bolt

37

and nut

39

, and positioned adjacent the bottom horizontal edge

46

of the front panel

42

, and another trim band

38

is positioned adjacent the horizontal top edge

44

to secure the front panel

42

between the bands

38

and

40

. The front panel

42

may need to be trimmed to fit between the bolts, including bolt

37

, which connect the bands

38

to each upright member

22

.

A top curved plate

52

made of rigid countertop material is disposed on the top of the U-shaped box support members

12

wherein the bottom surface

56

of the plate

52

is fastened to the upper horizontal member

24

of the support members

12

.

FIG. 3

shows the assembly of the curved section

10

in clearer details with the front panel

42

, the top plate

52

, the trim bands

38

exploded away from the U-shaped box support members

12

. The U-shaped support members

12

are fabricated from 2 inch aluminum hollow box tube and include an outer wall

14

, an inner wall

16

and a pair of spaced side walls

18

juxtaposed to form a lower horizontal member

20

, an upright vertical member

22

and an upper horizontal member

24

welded together into U-shaped outer wall

14

and a U-shaped inner wall

16

. A first gusset reinforcement

34

is positioned between the lower horizontal box member

20

and the upright member

22

, and another gusset reinforcement

36

is positioned between the upper horizontal member

24

and the upright member

22

and such reinforcements

34

and

36

are appropriately welded and smoothly finished. A pair of knobs

26

are secured to the outer wall

14

of the upper horizontal member

24

and have threaded vertical bores, not shown, to receive bolts, including bolt

53

through countersunk spaced openings, not shown, in plate

52

to firmly affix plate

52

to each of the support members

12

. In order to couple the support members

12

to the front panel, the top panel and the adjacent sections, a plurality of apertures appropriately are bored into the support members

12

and a plurality of bolts fastened by nuts are used to readily connect the components, as well known in the art.

As shown in

FIG. 4A

, a pair of spaced apertures

30

are bored through the sidewalls

18

of the lower horizontal member

20

and are used to connect adjacent sections

10

of the service bar

80

. Likewise, a pair of spaced apertures

28

are bored through the sidewalls

18

of the upper member

24

to be used to connect the upper members

24

of adjacent sections

10

. An additional pair of spaced apertures

27

are bored and threaded into the pair of knobs

26

to be used to secure the top plate

52

on and to the pair of knobs

26

. Each of the horizontal members

20

and

24

include end plates, including plate

29

, welded to close the hollow box member. Also, the openings, not shown, formed by gusset

34

and

36

are closed by end plates, including plate

35

welded to close such openings.

FIG. 4B

shows two support members

22

of two adjacent sections

10

and

11

attached to each other by fasteners in the from of bolts, including bolt

45

, extending through bores

30

in the lower horizontal box members

20

and nuts, including nut

47

threaded thereon. Accordingly, a plurality of sections

10

adjacent each other may be readily and firmly attached to form a substantial full circle, half circle or quarter circle. If desired seven pairs of support members

22

, as shown in

FIG. 4B

, may be pre-connected with such bolts and nuts, including bolt

45

and nut

47

, to facilitate assembly of the bar

80

or its other subassemblies.

FIG. 5

is a side view of the support member

12

showing one aperture

32

extending horizontally through the upright vertical member

22

and the gusset

36

. A bolt

33

is inserted through the aperture

32

to couple the trim band

40

, best shown in

FIG. 3

, to the support member

12

, and a nut

35

secures the bolt

33

. Another bolt

37

is used to couple the trim band

38

, best shown in

FIG. 3

, to the support member

12

and is inserted through the aperture

32

located above the gusset

34

is secured by a nut

39

. Since aperture

32

extends through the gusset

36

as well as the upright hollow box member

22

, an aluminum cylindrical tube

41

larger in diameter than the threaded bolt

33

is welded in place to provide a passageway

43

so that the bolt

33

may be more readily positioned during assembly thereof with the other components. Tube

41

extends slightly pass the gusset

36

so that the nut

35

may tighten properly on the bolt

33

. Another tube

41

may be welded within upright member

22

to provide a passageway

43

A for bolt

37

.

A plurality of bores are provided through the top plate

52

and trim bands

38

, as illustrated in

FIG. 3

, in order to couple them by bolts extending through the bores

27

,

28

,

30

and

32

in the support members

12

. In particular, three apertures

31

are bored through each trim band

38

and

40

to match bores

32

bored through the outer wall

16

of three as the bolts

33

and

37

, and nuts

35

and

39

respectively, as clearly shown in FIG.

5

. The front panel

42

is placed on the bolts

37

attaching the trim band

38

to the upright vertical members

22

and placed between the trim bands

38

and

40

and against the three upright members

22

. The nuts

35

and

37

are tightened on bolts

33

and

37

to secure the front panel

42

in place and the trim bands

38

and

40

to the upright members

22

. The process is repeated to assemble another identical section

10

and so forth. In order to disassemble the section

10

, the reverse order is followed.

FIG. 6

is an assembled half section

66

in accord with the present invention. The half section

66

is used primarily to create an open end path

82

to the fill circular service bar

80

, shown in

FIG. 1

, to enable bartenders to freely enter and exit. The half section

66

may also be used to create a variety of configurations along with plurality of full sections

10

. Unlike the full section

10

that has three support members

12

, the half section

10

includes two spaced support members

68

positioned at proximal end

61

and distal end

62

, a pair of trim bands

70

and

71

sandwiching a rectangular front panel

72

shorter than the front panel

42

of the full section

10

. A smaller top plate

74

is secured to two sets of knobs

76

, best shown in

FIG. 7

, positioned on top of the two support members

68

. The disassembled and exploded half section is shown in FIG.

7

. The aforementioned descriptions of

FIGS. 3

,

4

A,

4

B and

5

are generally applicable to

FIGS. 6 and 7

as would be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.